


Not your usual fairytale

by arcsinx



Series: Not Your Usual Fairytale [4]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Almaty, Alpha Otabek Altin, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, And Really Fluff, DJ Otabek Altin, Domestic Fluff, Long-Haired Yuri Plisetsky, M/M, Male Lactation, Model Yuri, National Hero Otabek Altin, Omega Yuri Plisetsky, Post Mpreg, Really Domestic, Social Media, though it's not really relevant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-09-27 09:30:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9997844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcsinx/pseuds/arcsinx
Summary: Of one thing Yuri Plisetsky is sure: Katya is the most beautiful baby he's ever seen. None of it has anything to do with the fact that she is his daughter, of course. It's mostly because she's the cutest, smallest, perfect mix between Yuri and Otabek. She blinks up at him while he tells her all of that, little hands closing in fists above her.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had a bunch of things to say before I forgot them but I may have made up for it on the tags. This is part of a universe I've been building in my mind but never really got to writing but don't worry, mostly every circumstance is self-explanatory. Also, I didn't proof-read this so I apologize in advance for any typos. Hope you enjoy!

Of one thing Yuri Plisetsky is sure: Katya is the most beautiful baby he's ever seen. None of it has anything to do with the fact that she is his daughter, of course. It's mostly because she's the cutest, smallest, perfect mix between Yuri and Otabek. She blinks up at him while he tells her all of that, little hands closing in fists above her. 

When pregnant, Yuri had been itching to have the baby so he could regain his old body and go back to work, but now he finds he's not sure if he'll be able to go one minute without her. She wasn't the most well behaved baby, no, she was sometimes stubborn to a fault, bawling in the middle of the night when all Yuri wanted was to get some _sleep_ , tugging on his shirt whenever she wanted to eat which was seemingly _all the time_ and going peacefully to sleep whenever Otabek would hold her. She was his little devil, and Yuri couldn't love her any more. 

"Katya, smile," he calls, sat on his and Otabek's bed with Katya lying on her back between his legs. She doesn't understand him, cooing and trying to bat his phone away from her face. Yuri manages to snap the most perfect picture of her: little stockinged feet up in the air, in the tiger onesie Yuri'd bought for her, the one that Otabek's mother despises and uses to defend her view of how he wasn't fit to raise her grandchild. She constantly stops by to see Katya, bringing along several toys and baby clothes that _she_ deems appropriate. In the past four months that they have had Katya Yuri's figured out the love they have for her is the only thing that stops his mother-in-law and him from completely gouging each other's eyes out. 

"Let's post this," Yuri says, and uploads the photo to his Instagram. He tags Otabek in it along with #baby #4thmonth #katya #almaty. Phichit is the first to like it, of course. And then Yuuri, who leaves the comment _i'm the proudest godfather_ along with several heart emojis.

A few minutes later Katya starts to fuss. Usually at this time Otabek gets back from the studio but he had an event tonight and would only get home well past Katya's bedtime. 

What infuriates Yuri the most is the fact that Otabek seems to be a baby whisperer. He doesn't ever have to deal with the bad parts save for changing her diapers, which Yuri absolutely _will not_ do ever again, thank you very much. It's possible Katya will cry all night long in her father's absence and Yuri will just have to deal with it. Whenever Otabek gets home he'll put her to sleep in no time when it usually takes Yuri about four hours to achieve the same feat. 

Yuri manages to distract her for a while with her furry bear before she gets to full on crying. 

"Gods, what is wrong with you?" he pulls her up to his chest the moment the doorbell rings. Yuri shuts his eyes and takes a very long breath. This can't be good. Yuri was definitely cutting Otabek's balls if he had told his mother Yuri would be by himself with the baby tonight because if she's invited herself _again_ he's not sure he won't commit murder.

It's not only Damira, his mother-in-law, but she's also come accompanied by Aisha, Otabek's ten year old sister. Yuri likes her most of the time though she can be a little brat. She used to follow Yuri around all the damn time when they had come to Almaty. She said she wanted to be a model, just like Yuri, to her mother's absolute _delight_ : Damira used to say Yuri dressed like a prostitute no matter how many times Otabek informed her it had only been _one_ underwear campaign.

"Damira, Aisha, good night. Can I help you?" he asks, being careful to keep the door open only in the barest minimun. He holds Katya to his chest, willing his daughter to cooperate and pretend to be asleep. 

Damira gives him the same unimpressed look she always does, and pushes forward to enter the hall. "Yuri, you can't be alone with the baby. Look at you, you're too skinny. She'll suck you dry if you let her. I brought food, you can eat while I hold her."

Katya, the little traitor, at the sound of her grandmother's voice starts to whine and make grabby hands. Damira coos at her, taking her from Yuri's grasp and pushing a takeaway into his hands. 

"Did you miss grandma, my sweetie?" Damira heads to the living room with his child. Yuri sighs.

"Yuri, I brought my sketches. Could you take a look?" Aisha asks, pushing her notebook to his face.

"Right," he turns on his heels, "let's go inside."

 

-

 

Yuri really likes to complain about his mother-in-law. She isn't the most lovely person in the world, that's for sure, but the truth is that she helps him out a lot, more than Yuri likes to admit. He truly hadn't been planning on having anything for dinner - he's a terrible cook - but she made him pirozhki, which she had been getting better at to the point it almost tasted like his grandfather's now. 

He eats at the dining room table with Aisha by his side. She likes to sketch clothes for him since she'd found Yuri had been trying his hand at it. He had done a couple shoots while pregnant for a national magazine because apparently Otabek was a _big deal_ in Kazakhstan and their lives were followed like episodes of a sitcom. So of course his pregnant belly sold a lot. But other than that he had been kept away from runways for the duration of his pregnancy, which got supremely boring after the first few weeks. He followed Lilia's advice and started sketching a few pieces for her new collection, which he found he enjoyed quite a lot. For some time he had been lost as to what he'd do once he retired from modeling but now he sees some future in designing. 

"What do you think?" Aisha asks while Yuri munches on a forkful of pirozhki. She shows him her sketch on her notebook, a strange, black cloth hanging on a figurine. For her age she draws pretty well. 

"What is that?" 

"It's a backless dress for you," she states proudly, "but I haven't done the back yet."

Yuri takes a sip of his water. He can hear Damira making her baby-voice at Katya, who responds with hearty giggles from the living room. "Sooo," Aisha waves her hand in front of his face, "what do you think?"

Yuri polishes off the rest of the pirozhki and takes the dishes to the sink. "If you do the back I might show it to Lilia."

Aisha howls in the delight and runs to the living room. "Can I use your stuff to draw, Yuri?" she shouts on the way.

"Yes, but leave them as they were, last time you made a mess," Yuri chastises. His phone vibrates with a message on the counter and Yuri goes see to it. It's Mila. 

Yuri stares down at his phone.

Mila and him had always been best friends. They knew each other from St Petersburg and went to every fashion event as though they were attached by the hip. She had been the one to introduce him to Otabek. At the time, Yuri didn't know if they were anything to each other, but Mila hadn't been exactly happy when he and Otabek started seeing each other regularly. She never told him anything and Otabek said they were only friends which meant her feelings were one-sided. Either way, they lost a bit of contact, and then a little bit more when they moved to Almaty and nowadays their only interaction resumed to liking each other's posts on social media. She had sent him a private message when Katya was born, congratulating them both on the family. And now she had sent him a _hey_ , just like that, no capital letters.

Yuri's thumb hovers over the keyboard. But then Otabek calls him. 

"Yura?" Otabek asks over the sound of muffled music.

"Yeah."

A pause. "Is everything all right?"

It's funny how Otabek knew him so well to know something was wrong just by the tone of his voice. "Yes, but you didn't tell me your mother was coming," he hisses. 

Otabek sighs. "Is she there? Sorry. But you know you don't have to be alone all the time. How's Katya?"

Otabek always outmaneuvers himself out of a conflict with Yuri whenever his mother is involved. It's a survival instinct by now. "Fine, your mother is watching her. She brought pirozhki so I'm not even all that mad."

Otabek chuckles, "All right. I will be home in a few hours. If she hasn't slept until then you can leave her to me."

"Okay. And Beka?"

"Hm."

"I miss you."

"I miss you too, kitten," Otabek's smile is hearable. "Can't wait to see you. Love you. Good night." 

Yuri repeats the sentiment and lets the call die. Mila's message is still staring at him.

He moves to the living room and folds his legs under his body next to Damira and Katya. Damira has the television on some cartoon show that Katya isn't yet old enough to comprehend but grabs her attention all the same. She asks if Yuri has eaten the pirozhki and seems to be satisfied when he answers in the affirmative. If she'd used the opportunity to try and lecture him on motherhood again Yuri would've pretended to be asleep. 

He opens the message app to see Mila's message still blinking at him. The cursor winks, waiting for him to decide on what to say. In the end he sends a similar _hey_ and locks his phone again, turning to appraise Katya, who has lost interest on the cartoon and is now tugging on Damira's hair with her incredibly powerful fists. Damira unfolds her little fingers from her hair and Katya gets upset enough to decide she needs to cry. Yuri is about to offer to take her when another message comes.

_so, how's married life treating u ?  
i saw katya's photo. she looks a lot like otabek_

Yuri bites his bottom lip and tries to ignore the spark of hope he feels. Maybe they won't have to discuss what happened in the past, maybe they can go back to being friends the way they used to. 

Damira has now made Katya calm down using her baby whisperer powers which she passed on to Otabek. 

_yeah. was super fat with her for 9 months and then she comes out looking like her father_

_hahaha. why is it that mothers always complain about the same thing ?  
and the in-laws ? his mother still giving u trouble ??_

Yuri looks to the side. Damira is standing with Katya in her arms, rocking her gently and pointing at the city lights visible through the floor to ceiling windows. Katya coos at her, little almond eyes taking in the sight and curling her little fist around Damira's finger until her grandmother laughs. 

_she's still a pain in the ass_  
_but getting better_  
_and wants to fatten me up_

_hmm u're lucky_  
_see my diet_  
{Mila has sent an Image} 

It's a picture of her dinner: a tiny portion of salad. 

_u're a crazy hag  
can't say I miss this part_

_haha u r right not to,  
when r u coming back btw ??_

Katya chooses that moment to restart her crying. This time Damira isn't able to calm her down. Yuri leaves his phone aside and motions for Damira to hand her over.

"She's hungry. With any luck she'll eat and sleep before Otabek gets here," he says, and pulls his hair up in a bun before unbuttoning his shirt. He only ever wears Otabek's social shirts inside, they're easier to pull aside and hang on his frame without clinging too much to his body, which Yuri hasn't been comfortable with since giving birth. Otabek says he's still as beautiful as ever but Otabek sometimes is full of shit. Ironically the only person he trusts on this is Damira, because she's had three children of her own though women and male omega's bodies are way different. But she's gone back to calling him skinny and she has no qualms when it comes to insulting him so Yuri can suppose he retained at least some of his old body. Not to mention he also lost a lot of weight with handling a newborn.

Damira takes a seat beside him and grabs the remote to watch the news. Katya settles on Yuri's chest and sucks greedily. Damira spares them look. "How long do you plan to keep her on your breast?"

Yuri huffs. "The doctor said as long as I can but I don't think it's gonna be much longer. I gotta go back to work." And it also hurt like a bitch though Yuri appreciated the proximity it offered with his daughter. 

Damira frowns. Yuri knows she's about to tell him how she breastfed all her children until they were two years old, including Otabek, who is now very healthy. But Aisha comes back from their study holding out a drawing for Yuri. 

"Yuri, look!"

She's drawn the back of the dress she'd showed him earlier. It's mildly acceptable. "It's good. Put it in my folder, I'll show Lilia next time," he promises. Aisha nods excitedly and goes back to his study.

"You don't have to," Damira informs him after a while. 

Yuri shrugs. "She likes it, and it's free so..."

Damira rolls her eyes amusedly and Yuri reaches for his phone. Mila must still be waiting for an answer. 

_sorry, katya's hungry_  
i'm not sure when I'll be back to business  
but when I do you'll know :p 

 

-

 

Yuri wakes with a dull sound. He's become alert now with Katya, as though waking up every time she cries isn't enough he also loses sleep whenever a breeze hits harder. The sound comes from the doorway and even with the low lighting Yuri can make out Otabek's silhouette. He must've tripped on the way in.

"Are you out of your fucking mind? Be quiet, if Katya wakes up I swear I will-" Yuri hisses but it's already too late, Katya's started whining from her bedroom. "Oh, fuck," Yuri sighs and flops back against the covers.

Otabek switches the light on, letting Yuri see him in all his leathery glory, backpack still on his shoulders and helmet hanging from one hand. He grimaces when catching Yuri's gaze. "Sorry, I wanted to surprise you."

Yuri sits up on the bed and scratches the back of his head. "Never mind, you surprised me anyway. Look at me," he points at the dark circles under his eyes with both hands, "pleasantly surprised."

Otabek chuckles and scurries to lean forward and kiss his forehead, "How was my mother? Did you eat? Don't worry, I'll get Katya in a minute."

"Oh, she was fine. Left an hour ago with Aisha. She didn't call me a prostitute that you found at the other side of the world again so I'm not sure she wasn't an impostor. But she cooked and only insulted me once," Yuri frowns, "what has fucking gotten into her lately?"

Otabek smiles. "I think you did."

Yuri hums sleepily, untying the knots in his hair. "You look so fucking hot right now by the way," Otabek lifts an eyebrow at the compliment. They haven't really gotten any sex lately thanks to the little bundle of Altin-Plisetsky genes currently screaming off the top of her lungs. Her shrill cry makes Yuri's brain rattle, "Jesus, if you get her to shut up I swear I'll suck you off."

Otabek laughs and shakes his head but goes see to Katya all the same. He leaves his backpack and helmet next to the door to their bedroom which Yuri had told him a thousand times _not to do_ , but he's so tired he can't really muster up the courage to be mad; not to say he missed his husband a fucking lot. 

"Hey, why are you crying, little girl?" Yuri can hear Otabek's voice through the walls. Katya's crying turns to shrieks and gurgles, no doubt when Otabek appears over her crib and gets her. "Hm? Did you miss daddy?"

Yuri stretches on the mattress and unplugs his phone from the charger on his bedside table. Mila has sent him a funny cat video. Chuckling, he sends back a laughing emoji when Otabek comes back from Katya's room. He has the baby against his chest, where she holds on to the lapels of his leather jacket and stains the front of his shirt with saliva. Otabek sits next to Yuri and leans against the headboard, holding her up so her chubby legs are supported on his thighs. He blows a raspberry on her tummy and Katya peels in laughter. 

"Don't get her any more excited or she won't go back to sleep," Yuri mumbles half-heartedly, twisting a strand of hair in one finger while scrolling through his feed. Katya's photo has now 3,2k likes. 

"Hn, and no sleep for baby means no blowjob for daddy."

Yuri snorts and turns his camera towards Otabek and Katya. "Come on, do some cute shit I can send for my grandpa."

Otabek lays Katya back on the mattress and nuzzles the top of her head. Yuri snaps the photo and sends it to his grandfather. He thinks about sending it to Mila too, just to add something more to the conversation to show he's interested on talking constantly the way they used to. But he doesn't know how she's going to take it so he doesn't. 

Katya is being gently rocked by her father, Otabek singing an old Kazakh lullaby that never fails to make her eyelids droop. Yuri slides next to them and lets his nose rest on her crown of wispy dark hair. "Mila talked to me," he informs in a low voice.

Otabek waits for the next verse to die before whispering back, "did she?"

"Yep. She asked when I'd go back to work."

Katya has clung to Otabek's thumb, which is a clear sign that she's about to fall asleep. Her round eyes are losing focus of her father's face. "You know it's up to you. I make enough for all of us." 

Yuri hums noncomitally. He doesn't want to depend on anyone. He'd end up a little trophy housewife for Otabek, popping child after child because he'd feel alone and Damira would yap in his ear all day long. Yuri frowns at the mental image that makes, but Otabek's rich voice starts to get to him. It's easy to fall asleep like this, his husband singing of faraway lands in his ear and his daughter's baby smell on his nose. 

He doesn't know for how long he sleeps, but he comes back to himself when he feels a gentle tug on his shoulder, and then Otabek's body sliding next to him and pulling him closer. He feels Otabek's nose running up the side of his cheek before laying a kiss next to his temple. "You still owe me a blowjob," he whispers in his ear. Yuri kicks him in the shin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don't know if I'll write more on this verse. It depends a lot on your reactions but I had a couple more ideas and decided to add more to this. As I said, I'd thought about several stuff in this universe, including Otabek's family dynamics which I'm happy I managed to include in this chapter. So here it is!

"No."

"Why not?"

"Beka," Yuri huffs impatiently, "I told you. My grandfather has never left Moscow before, I don't want to put him under your family's scrutiny the same day he arrives here," he can hear Otabek's exhale through the other end of the line. Yuri wishes it were different but what the hell can he do? Otabek's relatives are loud as fuck. "Are you even sure he isn't going to die in this heat?" Yuri mumbles, grabbing the air conditioner controler from the nightstand and lowering the temperature. 

Summer in Almaty is a death experience for Yuri. It's the second one he's going through. The first had been last year when they had moved here. Yuri was in his fourth to fifth month of pregnancy and had almost cried on the way to their apartment. 

He's currently in their bedroom going through his wardrobe, Katya on his bed swallowing the toy keys from her keychain that Damira gave them claiming to be good for teething. Otabek has called to suggest taking his grandfather for lunch with his family after they pick him up from the airport tomorrow but Yuri isn't fond of the idea. Otabek's family is only tolerable in homeopatic doses. 

"Ah, Yura, come on," Otabek grumbles in his 'I'm-still-not-cross-with-you-but-I'm-getting-there' voice. 

"No, Beka," he insists. Yuri bends to check the content of his drawers, phone held between his ear and shoulder. He digs and finds an old crop top of his. He'd used it once, to buy coffee in St Petersburg when some unfortunate person decided to snap a picture of him and upload it to the internet. There wouldn't be any harm done save for the fact that he was already three months into his pregnancy and had, well, kind of a baby bump. The tabloids became infested with pregnancy rumors and Yakov, his agent, had to do a bit of a crisis management that cost him another visit to a cardiologist. He sent Yuri the bill later. Overall, the garment doesn't bring fond memories. Which is a pity since Yuri had been the king of crop tops before his gestation. 

"Okay, whatever," Otabek sighs in his ear. "But we'll visit them later today."

"What!?"

Katya frowns from the bed, spitting back one key to watch Yuri with round eyes. 

"It's my family's dinner, remember?"

Yuri groans, "Oh, gods, is it today already? I didn't make anything."

"I have it figured it out already," there's a pause on the other side, Otabek talking to someone else. Yuri digs through the last drawer until finding his swimwear. "I'm heading back now," Otabek informs him.

"Great. I'm taking Katya to the swimming pool, meet us there if you'd like."

 

-

 

Yuri doesn't like using their condo's swimming pool much. It's usually desert but whenever he sets foot on it his neighbors decide to miraculously appear to mingle. But it's pretty early on the day, just a little past noon and apparently everyone else is busy save for a babysitter watching a six year old boy at the far end of the pool. 

He'd grabbed towels for him and Katya, sunscreen and some toys to keep her entertained. She looks lovely in her little purple swimsuit with a matching hat and had made a face when Yuri dabbed sunscreen on her cheeks and shoulders.

Yuri snaps a photo of her and uploads it to his Instagram under the caption 'Summer in Almaty' followed by a sun emoji. He tags Otabek in it and #5thmonth #katya. Mila is the first to like it and leave a heart emoji. _she's so ADORABLE !!!_ , she comments. 

Yuri heads for the kids' pool, baby bag slung on his elbow and Katya in his arms. He dips one foot in and what is his surprise to find the water warm. It only reaches his ankle which won't pose much of a relief but at least it's not too deep for Katya. He settles his stuff next to the border and sits his bottom on the pool, being immediately swarmed with lukewarm water that barely reaches his belly. 

"Do you wanna get in the water, baby?" he asks Katya, whom he's holding up over the water. Her mouth is shaped into a perfect 'o' as she stares intently at Yuri's lap. It can't be much different than when Yuri bathes her but then again she never gets dressed up for that, so Yuri can't blame her for the enthusiasm. 

He slowly dips her until her feet are touching the water. She begins to wave her arms and giggle until he settles her on his lap, bringing his knees up to support her back. "There we go, little one," Yuri cups some water on his palm and wets her chest. Katya hums and slaps her little hands on the water, effectively splashing it all around. "Shit," Yuri turns his face away though his eyes are protected by his sunglasses. "Okay, enough water for you," he digs through the baby bag one-handed and finds her toy keys. Katya beams at him and goes back to munching on them.

There's a moment of pure quietness, only the sounds of the water gently sloshing around them and Katya's cooing. Yuri grabs his phone and scrolls through the news. Victor had posted a picture of Yuuri and him with the twins after they were born, Yuuri's cheeks rosy and his eyes tired but filled with love as he stared down at the little bundles in his arms. Victor attached a huge text to it where he went on and on about the love of his life and how their boys were turning three years old today. Fucker hadn't even invited Yuri to the party. They lived in St Petersburg, all right, but still. Those things were symbolic. Yuri was having a talk with Katsudon later. 

"Excuse me?"

Yuri looked up to find the babysitter he'd spotted earlier. She's holding the boy's hand, who is looking hypnotized at the sight of Yuri. 

"Yes?" Yuri inches his sunglasses higher. 

"I'm so sorry to bother you, but I really, really need to go to the bathroom and can't leave little Eric by himself. Would you mind keeping an eye on him for me, please? He's super calm, I'm sure he won't bother you, right Eric?" Eric, in his blue trunks, shakes his head slowly, "I will only be a minute," the babysitter adds.

People say a lot of stuff about Yuri, but most of them agree that he's got a temper not to be meddled with. Yuri is stubborn, is rarely pressured into doing things he doesn't want to because when is he'll tell whoever it is to go fuck themselves in three languages if it is necessary. But people are wrong. Because Yuri doesn't have the heart, or the courage, or whatever it is it takes to rid himself of this situation now. So, stupidly, he says, "okay."

The babysitter thanks him profusely and runs back to the building. Eric, the boy, inches shyly into the pool next to Yuri. 

Yuri gives him a forced smile and pretends to be engrossed in his phone. Katya is lying against his legs and paying the newcomer curious eyes while drooling on her toy keys.

Eric is still gaping at Yuri, eyes going from his face to the little braids interspersed with his hair that he has up in a ponytail. He's got dark eyes and tanned skin and looks a whole lot like Otabek when he was a kid. Damira had shown him his picture once to his husband's absolute mortification. 

Being stared at has always gotten into Yuri, he hates it. "Are you okay?" he asks Eric, who flinches and blushes. He is quick to nod and look away but goes back to staring at Yuri almost as fast. Kids can be _really_ senseless, Yuri figures out, even more so when his own daughter throws her drooled toy keys on his face. "Ouch, Katya, what was that for?" 

Katya giggles unashamedly. Yuri sighs and puts his phone away at a safe distance, handing the keys back to her and washing his drooled cheek with the pool's water. "Are you her mother?" Yuri is surprised when the boy asks.

"Yes," Yuri fakes a smile, "but I'm not a girl."

Eric nods, "I know."

Yuri lifts an eyebrow. The boy opens his mouth to say something else, seems to think twice and shut it. And then he gains more courage. "You're really pretty," he tells Yuri, immediately hiding his face with his hands.

Yuri is completely caught off-guard. He blinks and tries to find words. "Oh, thanks," he says, and despite not wanting to, feels himself blush. What a stupid kid. 

"Did you open a daycare?"

That voice is all too familiar, "Oh, go fuc-" Yuri bites his tongue to keep from swearing in front of the innocent kid. Katya writhes on Yuri's lap, climbing up his chest to make grabby hands at her father. 

Otabek laughs and raises Katya up from behind Yuri. The baby giggles and grabs his nose. Otabek shakes his head playfully and kisses her tummy until she lets go. 

Otabek is, unfairly, in swimtrunks, his torso out for anyone to gawk over. Yuri pouts and pretends not to be affected. He glances at Eric and sees that, if the kid had gone red when seeing Yuri he turns pale when seeing Otabek. He folds his little legs closer to his body and pays Otabek quiet, wide-eyed looks. Yuri sometimes forgets people recognize Otabek.

Unconcerned, Otabek slips into the pool with Katya in his arms. Yuri lifts an eyebrow at him. Otabek chuckles and waddles closer to kiss him on the lips. They break apart to find Eric gaping at them. 

"Hi," Otabek waves. Katya has now swallowed her fist and is staring intently at her father's ear. 

"Hi," Eric mumbles back. 

"What's your name?" Otabek continues.

"Eric."

Yuri takes his sunglasses off and stands from the pool. He turns to find both Otabek and Eric staring at him. "Beka, I'll go take a dive in the other pool. Watch Katya."

The water is fortunately way colder than the one in the kids' pool and Yuri bends his neck back before diving. He'll have to use a thousand products to rid his hair of the chlorine later but at least he's saved himself of watching two kids while Otabek gives him _looks_. He lets himself float backwards for a while before going back.

Otabek is talking excitedly with the kid, who looks so happy it seems he'll burst. They've gone to the deeper end of the pool, where the water reaches Otabek's thighs and Eric's belly. Yuri moves closer to them. They should be heading back in a while, Katya has to take her afternoon nap before they get ready for Otabek's family dinner. 

"How old is she?" Eric asks, pointing at Katya, her belly on the water while Otabek holds her. 

"Five months," Otabek answers proudly, "Look, Yura, she's trying to swim," he points out. In fact, Katya is batting her arms and legs around. "She must've learned that in your belly."

Eric suddenly turns to Yuri. "Are you Yuri Plisetsky?"

Yuri exchanges a look with Otabek, who only ducks his head to hide his smile. "Yes," Yuri answers. 

"Oh, that's why you're so pretty," Eric realizes. Yuri avoids Otabek's eyes. "My mother likes your photos. But she says you were right to have a baby so fast."

Yuri frowns, and doesn't really know what to make of that. To have a baby so fast? Yuri was twenty-five, that was a nice enough age to have a child. Otabek looks like he's about to suffer an aneurism, he's holding back his laugh so hard. 

"How old is your mother?" Yuri decides to ask just for the hell of it.

"I don't know," Eric frowns and stares deeply into the water. "But she's very busy and my father too," Yuri had kind of figured it out with the babysitter.

"Don't you have another brother or sister?"

Of course Otabek would ask that. 

Eric shakes his head and he looks like he's going to elaborate but his babysitter comes back from the bathroom. She thanks Yuri and apologizes for taking his time before whisking Eric away. The boy waves back at them over his shoulder. 

"Well," Yuri says out loud, standing to get the baby bag and the rest of his stuff, "Katya has to nap and I have to shower. Beka, let's go."

 

-

 

Katya gushes on Yuri's shirt on the way to Otabek's family house. "Oh, crap," Yuri tries to clean himself with her bib. She starts crying right after. 

"Is everything all right?" Otabek asks unhelpfully from the driver's seat.

"Yeah, everything is fucking wonderful," Yuri glares his way, "did you burp her after she ate?"

"Of course I did." 

Yuri pouts, but he really did see Otabek burping her. Katya settles down after some rocking, but her cheeks are still laden with dried tears. 

Damira coos at her and glares at Yuri when they arrive. "What happened to grandma's sweet girl, hn?" she asks and Katya whines, settling her face on Damira's shoulder. "What happened to her?" she turns to Yuri with the eyes of a hawk. 

"She gushed on _me_ on the way here," he accuses, pointing at the stain littering the front of his shirt. Damira twists her nose. 

"Come with me. You can use one of my clean shirts," Damira motions with her head towards the house.

It's Yuri's turn to twist his nose. "It's not really necessary, thanks, it's not th-"

"No one will eat dinner with my family with a shirt stained like that," she cuts him off and gives Yuri's shirt a disgusted look. "And to come to a family gathering dressed in that too..." she grimaces, turning her face away sharply. Yuri follows her into the house while Otabek greets his family members. They pass the kitchen first, full with Otabek's female relatives as they scream and talk while preparing the food, which is arranged on the table in different, overflowing trays. They nod and greet Yuri, who smiles and greets everyone as well as he can. 

The Altin's house smells like it always does, like mustard and honey. "I never wore shirts like these when I was breastfeeding," Damira tells him while walking further into the house. Yuri follows gingerly, waving at Otabek's relatives as he finds them in the hallway. "Good thing Katya threw up on that. She has a sense of property. Didn't Otabek say anything? I could see your nipples from the other side of the street."

Yuri grits his teeth. There was nothing wrong with his shirt. The collar was a bit low because it was easier to feed Katya with. Damira leads him into her bedroom, "Come, come," she says hastily before closing the door after him. "Oh, look at you, my little flower," she coos at Katya, lying his daughter on her back on the mattress. "You look so lovely, yes, you do," she continues doing her baby-voice while opening her wardrobe and searching inside. 

Damira and Arman, Otabek's father, have the largest bedroom in the house, their double bed covered in a hideous dark blue and orange flowery pattern, smelling of patchouli. They have a window that overlooks the street, yellow drapes flowing with the breeze. Their wardrobe occupies the entire opposite wall and Yuri doesn't know how Damira manages to find a shirt in there but she waves a dark green button down on his face. 

"There, put it on, come on, come on." Yuri hates that earnest voice she makes but takes his shirt off accordingly. "Are you leaking?" Damira asks, shamelessly analyzing his nipples. 

Yuri cups his breast and turns his chest away from her scrutiny. "E-Excuse me, no, I'm not."

Damira squints at him, supporting her hands on her hips and watching him put the shirt on. It smells like it had stayed inside her wardrobe for an eternity, the tissue starchy against Yuri's skin, so different from the designer clothes he uses to wear. It falls like a sack of potatoes on Yuri, the hem almost reaching mid-thigh and the collar as low as the shirt Katya had gushed on.

"Look, Damira, it's very nice of you and all but this is long-sleeved and I'm dying-"

Damira puts her hand up the way Otabek does when he wants to cut someone off. "Don't want to hear it. Come on, you'll help us out in the kitchen. I'll get Katya."

 

-

 

There's a familiar silhouette in the kitchen among the women. Her long, black hair reaches her waist, and she wears jeans and the white blouse Yuri had gifted her on her birthday - secretly, as Otabek's family didn't celebrate birthdays. The design was Lilia's. 

"Maya," he greets Otabek's older sister, who turns from her place in front of the sink to see him. 

"Yuri!" Maya hugs him. She's lacking her usual perfume, but holds Yuri close to her and kisses his cheek. "How are you doing? And where's my niece? Oh, Katya, look at you!" She gasps at Yuri's daughter, stretching her arms to get her from her mother's hold. "You're so big already," she tells Katya, who smiles her toothless smile and grabs onto Maya's aristocratic nose, "and looking so much like Beka," she whispers to Yuri.

Yuri rolls his eyes, "please, not you too."

Maya laughs, "Don't worry, her nose is absolutely yours. What are you wearing by the way?" she frowns, "isn't that mom's shirt?"

 

-

 

Maya is really nice. She's older than Otabek by four years and always takes Yuri's side when he and Damira fight, which is as close to loyalty as Yuri will ever find in this world. They talk in the kitchen while Yuri peels potatoes on a board beside her, who keeps washing the dirty pans her relatives use to prepare the food. 

Maya is one of those people Yuri's found once or twice before: strong-willed and kind but whose life is just shitty. Otabek is the country's, and the family's star, not to mention Damira's only son so Maya has always been shunned to the side despite being the oldest. To this day Yuri fears she might resent him because her marriage was completely outshined by the news - or the rumors at the time - breaking out on his and Otabek's dating. Afterwards Damira had kept pushing Maya to have a baby as she was avid for grandchildren. Yuri doesn't know if there was something wrong with her, she seems happy with Rasul, her husband, but if they tried for a baby they hadn't still delivered it. And then of course Yuri had to go and become pregnant first, with Otabek's child. Yuri remembers Maya had teared up at the news and though she had assured him she was only happy for them Yuri still wondered. 

What pisses Yuri off is that he knows none of that should make Maya unhappy just as well as Yuri knows he shouldn't mind Damira when she calls him a prostitute: they're all meaningless, petty things. But he knows they hurt. And he can't imagine what it been like for Maya to live like that for every fucking day of her life. 

"You said your grandfather was coming to visit us," Maya remembers, shifting her forearm to clean her cheek of detergent foam. 

"Yes, he arrives tomorrow. Me and Beka are gonna pick him up at the airport. He wanted to bring him here straight after for lunch but you'll have to forgive me, Maya, but I can't bring him to all of _this_ after a long trip," Yuri indicates the bustling kitchen around them, filled with loud talk and gossip. Outside, the older kids of Otabek's relatives are playing football in the street, and their shouts and loud taunts echo inside the kitchen as though they were breathing down Yuri's neck. The men are in the living room watching some kind of sport match and every once in a while a loud _'ooh'_ is hearable over the constant, quickfire narration. 

Maya chuckles, "No, you're right, of course. But you know mom won't let you sleep peacefully if you don't bring him over at least once. She'll say you're ashamed of us and knock your door down. You can take him to my house if you wish," she shrugs, "for lunch, it's much quieter there and we can invite only the inner circle of the family, it won't be as loud."

Yuri hates Maya because she sometimes makes him want to cry. "Fuck, Maya, thank you, I mean, you don't have to- Maya, let me do that," he offers quickly when one of Otabek's cousins, a nosy woman with bleached blond hair (people had started to do that since Yuri became 'famous' here), throws an oiled frying pan in the sink for her.

Maya bats him away, "Relax, Yuri. You have model hands, you can't do this."

Yuri wants to protest but isn't all that thrilled to do the job either. He finishes with the potatoes and searches for his daughter. Katya is being passed on from hand to hand in the kitchen under the watchful eyes of Damira, who is ever present to tell them that yes, she's her granddaughter, Otabek's child with that Russian model, currently five months old and yes, she looks a lot like him right? until Katya starts to whine in upset and Damira makes a beeline for him. 

"Yuri, I think her diaper is dirty. Did you bring any more?" Damira asks.

Yuri sighs. The kitchen is stifling and he can feel his sweat pooling on his back. "It's in the baby bag in Beka's car. I'll get it."

Damira gives him a disapproving look and rocks Katya before shooing him away. Glad he made an escape, Yuri moves to the living room where a hockey match is being broadcasted. He finds at least ten men cluttered inside watching it avidly but none of them is Otabek. Grunting, he starts searching the house after his husband. He is not in the bathroom, not in any of the bedrooms or the backyard. Yuri starts to think his husband went home without him when he hears these soft, hesitant notes coming from somewhere. Wherever there's music, there's Otabek. 

He's in the basement like a fucking freak, hunched over a piano and managing not to die while breathing in that hot, dirty dense air. "What the fuck are you doing down here?"

Otabek looks up. "Yura, I'm playing a bit. My father got me this piano when I was nine. I wanted to know if it was still working."

Yuri hums. "Right. Your mother wants to hit me because your daughter shit herself. Come on, give me the car keys."

Otabek stands leisurely and scratches the back of his head. "Did she pass her on to other women too much? Katya doesn't like that."

"Oh, she'll be really happy when she's older and I tell her her father was too busy playing in a basement to help her out of that situation."

Otabek ignores that and climbs the stairs next to him. He puts a hand on Yuri's waist once they reach the first floor, and when Yuri turns to close the door to the basement Otabek holds him back from returning to the kitchen. "Yura, don't you ever think about-"

"No."

Otabek frowns. 

"I know what is on your mind," Yuri clarifies, "and the answer is no."

Otabek opens his mouth. "I don't think you do."

Yuri scoffs and cocks his hip to the side. "Do you think I don't notice the way you look at- _ugh_ , I'm not even having that discussion with you. Give me the car keys."

"Yura-" Otabek is cut off by the sound of a baby wailing further into the house. Katya.

"Otabek," Yuri emphasizes: when he uses the full name he means business, "the car keys."

Otabek sighs and gives it to him.

 

-

 

Dinner is finally ready and the whole family takes their seat on the table. Arman is at the head of the table next to Damira and the rest seats wherever. Yuri is practically sat on Otabek's lap, his legs supported on his husband's knees because Otabek's aunt, the one with a huge ass, is sat next to him and barely leaves any space for his blood circulation. Yuri's folded the sleeves of Damira's shirt back to his elbows because they are bumping the food on his plate and because Katya keeps pulling them. She's sitting on his lap and staring at the silverware as though she's about to snatch it and swallow it. Which means she will. Otabek had changed her diaper earlier to Damira's absolute shock. She's still going at it at the table. 

" ...Never. In my time, right, Arman?" Damira is yapping at the head of the table. Her husband shrugs, he's a silent guy that keeps to himself and avoids Damira's crazy speechs like the plague. Even more so when she involuntarily asks for his input. " _I_ changed all of my children's diapers," she continues and Otabek's older aunts nod to her words impassively. "Whenever they cried, whenever they so much as started smelling the littlest bit I was there. Prepared, with everything in hand. Right, Arman?" 

Maya meets Yuri's gaze across the table. She rolls her eyes at her mother's words and winks his way. Yuri grins. "But of course, Otabek never cried. He was the calmest, easiest baby," Damira claims and Otabek groans beside Yuri. He hates it when his mother babies him in front of people.

" _Be patient, Yura,_ " Yuri mimicks Otabek's voice to him, " _She's old-fashioned but she's my mother._ "

Maya hears him and snorts with laughter into her drink, pausing to dab her napkin to her nose while softly chuckling. Damira pauses on her speech to look at her. 

"What's so funny, Maya?"

"Nothing, mama, I'm sorry," Maya apologizes. Her husband, Rasul, sat beside her, knocks shoulders with her. 

Damira pouts unhappily. "You'll understand when you have children, Maya."

Maya tenses. Yuri exchanges an unsatisfied look with Otabek and Katya tugs on his shirt.

"By the time that happens I'll have instructed you better," Damira continues. Yuri is about to open his mouth to say Katya is hungry - which she is - to dissuade the topic. 

"Actually, mama," Maya says, glancing at her husband and wringing her napkin in her fist. She doesn't look up from her plate no matter how much Yuri tries to find her gaze. The rest of the table, that had been talking quietly and pretending not to be listening in, falls silent, "I was feeling sick and went to the doctor yesterday. He said I'm pregnant," she smiles, "four weeks."

"Oh, Maya!" Damira cries, fanning herself. The table erupts in cheers and Maya laughs shyly. "My Maya, my little girl!" Damira stands to hug her. 

"It's fine, mama, thanks," Maya chuckles, patting her mother's shoulders. 

After a few minutes everyone settles down after congratulating Maya at least twice and goes back to their talks. Otabek gets up to hug his sister and murmur something in her ear that Yuri can't hear but makes Maya tear up. She clutches him tighter and mumbles something else. Yuri looks away. It feels like he's invading a private moment. 

Yuri finds Maya's gaze when Otabek lets her go. "Maya, I didn't know, gods, I'm so happy for you." Maya laughs and thanks him before waving him away. 

Otabek takes the seat beside Yuri again and they go back to eating. Katya is now cooing and smearing the front of Yuri's shirt with saliva while trying to find his nipple.

"She's hungry," Otabek perceives the obvious.

Yuri hums, undoes the first few buttons of his shirt and pulls it aside to feed her. Katya latches on happily and wrings his collar in her fist while paying him coy glances. Yuri watches her for a moment before frowning. "You know," he says, taking a bite of his food when Otabek hums for him to continue. "I think I understand what that boy's mom said earlier in the pool. About me being right for having the baby so fast."

Otabek doesn't take his eyes away from his plate but Yuri can clearly see the way he's trying to hold back his laugh. "Did you?"

"Why are you laughing?" he smacks Otabek's arm. 

Otabek shakes his head. "I'm not," it's obvious he is. 

Yuri rolls his eyes. "I can't believe you, you dickhead. Why didn't you tell him to fuck off?"

"It was not his fault, he was just a boy. His mother thinks that and probably finds it harmless to tell her kid."

"And now he'll grow up thinking I got pregnant so you'd marry me. Who the hell thinks like that?" Yuri groans, "Forget it, your mother does."

Otabek grimaces but doesn't deny it. "Doesn't matter. We'll be better parents than them."

Yuri wants to say something else but unfortunately Damira catches sight of him and gasps. "No, no, Yuri, don't feed her at the table. Come on, get up," she chastises him. Yuri looks flabbergastedly at Otabek, who opens his mouth to defend him before her mother raises her hand to cut him off. "I don't want to hear it. Come with me, come on."

Yuri sighs longsufferingly and glares at Otabek before getting up from his seat. Katya doesn't like too much movement when she's eating and begins to whine in protest. Yuri follows Damira wordlessly. Was she born in the Middle Ages or something? 

"It's not hygienic," she's saying, apparently deciding she needs to lecture him. Yuri just wishes she would _shut up_. "If you'd told me she was hungry before I would've told you to come here and feed her for a while before eating."

She takes him to Otabek's old bedroom, his bed still made and his stuff organized and looking like they were cleaned every week. There were a bunch of cds organized by title and a guitar accumulating dust behind his door. Yuri sits on the checkered duvet on the bed and adjusts Katya on his lap. He's never hated Damira so much. Rationally. Because when he was pregnant there were some times when he thought he was one step away from telling her to leave him alone and mind her own fucking business. But he was very hormonal when pregnant so it wasn't always his mind speaking. 

Katya pulls on his hair and Yuri winces. "She's pulling your hair?" Damira asks and begins tutting, "No, no, no, you have to put it back. When I had Maya she would pull on my hair all the time, so did Aisha. Braid it back, here," she stands behind Yuri and pulls his hair back to braid. Yuri bristles. "I know you think you know what's best for her, but I'm here to help you, Yuri. That's what mothers are for. And now my little Maya will have a baby of her own," Yuri frowns. He's known Damira for almost a year now but there were few times when he heard her sound like she's about to cry. "I'm so happy," she suddenly lunges at Yuri, hugging him from behind and resting her wet cheek on his shoulder.

Oh shit. Yuri is not good at this. He hates it when people cry, he doesn't know what to do to make them feel better. But Damira isn't crying because she's sad, she's crying of happiness and that realization makes Yuri feel absolutely confused about her. He pats her arm gently while she sniffs on his shoulder. Katya whines in protest and moves to latch on Yuri's other nipple. 

It takes less than a minute for Damira to recompose herself. She finishes Yuri's hair wordlessly, leaving it in a perfect braid down his back. He doesn't see her face when she pats his shoulder and leaves the bedroom.

What the fuck? Sighing, Yuri rests against the headboard and pulls his legs up on the bed. Katya snuggles up to him and Yuri lets his eyes roam while she eats. There are several books organized by authors on a shelf near the door. On his bedside table, there's a picture frame of young Otabek holding out a fake gold medal from his amateur boxing days. 

"Yura," he looks up at the voice, finding his husband leaning against the doorframe and watching him with that gaze reserved for when they fight and Otabek wants to make amends, "I'm so sorry about my mother."

Yuri looks down at Katya to avoid Otabek's eyes, but feels the bed dip and knows Otabek's sat next to his feet. Yuri shrugs, and remembers the way Damira had hugged him. "She's just like that I guess." 

Otabek looks at him as though he'd just swallowed a whole watermelon. Yuri can feel the way Otabek's gaze shifts, studying him. "Shit. What the hell did she do to you?" he finally asks.

Yuri rolls his eyes, "If you absolutely need to know she lectured me because apparently I can't feed my daughter while I am eating at the table and then she cried, hugged me, did my hair and went away."

Otabek frowns. "You said she cried?"

"Yes, for god's sake, cried, Beka."

Otabek shakes his head as though he still can't comprehend the sequence of facts. Yuri can't really blame him. They remain silent for a while longer, Otabek pulling Yuri's legs to his lap and humming something under his breath. 

"The twins are turning three today," Yuri mumbles to fill the silence.

"Victor's?" 

"Yeah. I sent them a message in private. They didn't invite us to the party," Yuri pouts.

Otabek chuckles. "I think they just saved themselves from us having to turn them down. Even if we did went down to St Petersburg to see them we wouldn't make it back in time to meet your grandfther tomorrow."

Yuri hums in agreement. 

"You know what's funny?" Otabek suddenly asks. Yuri lifts an eyebrow in question. "You're in my childhood bedroom, lying in my childhood bed, feeding my daughter," he smiles. 

Yuri snorts, but doesn't reject his kiss when Otabek leans down for it.

 

-

 

Katya is sleepy as fuck when they get back to the apartment but Yuri won't put her to bed without bathing her first. "She soiled her diaper, threw up and was carried by at least twenty people," Yuri justifies to Otabek when voicing his decision. He takes off his clothes and gets in the bath first while Otabek undresses her, unfortunately having to undo Damira's braid to pull his hair up in a bun. Otabek hands Katya to him, and the baby kicks and cries when Yuri begins washing her. 

Otabek kneels beside the bath and helps by pouring Katya's shampoo on her head while being careful not to let it slide into her eyes. She calms down at her father's touch and it doesn't take long until she's climbing Yuri's chest to pull at his hair. They manage to wash the soap and shampoo off and the air becomes rich with her baby smell.

"Go, do your magic," Yuri tells Otabek, who catches her in her fluffy towel and lies her down on their bed to dry and dress. 

Yuri rests back against the bath, turning the faucet to pour in more water. For a moment he's not a mother, not a model, not a husband. He's just Yuri. He grabs his soap and starts washing himself to the faraway sounds of Katya's cooing and Otabek shushing her gently. 

He's almost done by the time Otabek returns, softly closing the door after him before undressing. He climbs in next to Yuri in the bath gingerly and Yuri slaps his thigh once he finally manages to fit himself behind him, legs splayed with Yuri between them. 

"Are you sure you are fucking incapable of getting inside this without giving me a faceful of cock?" Yuri argues and Otabek mostly ignores him.

"Katya is asleep," he informs, pulling on Yuri's shoulder until he's lying back down on his chest. 

"Great," Yuri sighs. Otabek bends his leg and pulls Yuri's thigh over his, encircling his waist and pressing a gentle kiss to the nape of his neck, where the hair Yuri hadn't managed to catch in a bun is wetly stuck to his skin. "You know, it's called _bathing_ for a reason. Because people usually bathe, not have sex."

"My mother always told me," Otabek mumbles against his skin, nuzzling Yuri's ear and sending a jolt of pleasure down his spine that makes his cock twitch underwater, "I'm not like most people."

Yuri sinks his nails in the flesh of Otabek's thighs and he flinches back, chuckling before biting on Yuri's shoulder reproachfully, "Hmm, kinky," he says around Yuri's skin.

"Settle down, will you?" Yuri smacks his head.

Otabek huffs impatiently, "I can't, you're too hot."

"Beeeka."

"You're not helping."

"Fine," Yuri turns around, wrapping his arms around Otabek's neck and resting his head on his chest. "I wanna talk to you."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Yuri supports his chin on Otabek's collarbone. His husband looks at him under his eyelashes, the sharp angle of his jaw jutting out. Yuri hums and moves to kiss him, just tiny pecks that get him reacquainted with Otabek's lips. "You have to shave," he murmurs, sliding a finger down his jaw demonstratively. 

"I do," Otabek agrees. "Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

"No," Yuri slides his arms down until they're lying against Otabek's chest. He stares at his own nails for a while. "It's about what we discussed earlier. When we were leaving the basement of your mother's house."

Otabek tenses, "Ah."

"Yeah, 'ah'. So, about that, I know you want more children," he states. It's hard to miss the way Otabek's eyes glint when he sees another child, the way he had earlier with the boy at the pool. Damira was all about having several grandchildren and Yuri doesn't know to what extent Otabek listened to her and felt he was the one to make her dream come true. Regardless, there's something so very alluring about Otabek when he's next to kids. He's a better father for Katya than Yuri could've ever hoped for. It made him think. And he knew Otabek wanted it.

Otabek doesn't question him, instead waits for what else he's got to say with his famous, impervious face. "And I really, really don't know if I can do it," Yuri continues. Otabek opens his mouth and Yuri silences him with a finger to his lips, " _but_ I'm willing to think about it. Once Katya is older."

It's beautiful to see the way the emotions make Otabek's eyes change. He looks serious, then aprehensive, then absolutely fearful, and now he's confused. By the time it takes for him to digest everything Yuri said he smiles serenely and grabs Yuri by the neck to properly _kiss_ him. "All right," he says against his lips, and then repeats himself several times, punctuating with a kiss, "All right, all right, all right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! As always, please let me know your thoughts on it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't expecting it but I ended up writing more on this. Also, I made a tumblr for the series! :D You can officially contact me there about it and I'll be able to publish all the stuff I had been meaning to attach to the stories without going through AO3's terrible html formatting. 
> 
>  
> 
> [Here it is!](https://notyourusualfairytale-au.tumblr.com/)

"And this," Yuri opens the last door, "is your bedroom." 

Nikolai takes polite looks around. Yuri had cleaned the bedroom earlier in preparation for his grandfather's arrival while Katya napped. He might have overdone it a little, but the bedroom is as pristine as ever, the white duvet spread over the mattress and the empty wardrobe waiting to be filled. The glass windows overlook some of the city's landscape, a part of the city that still struggled against commercial buildings, the sky wide and the mountains looming in the background. That, of course, is what gets his grandfather's attention. 

"It's very nice, Yuratchka," he says, stepping into the room and heading to the windows. "Thank you. The city here is very beautiful." 

Yuri licks his lips nervously. Otabek, with Katya in his arms, comes from the hallway pulling on Nikolai's stroller bag. He gives Yuri a reassuring grin and a wink. "I'm sure you'll like Almaty, Nikolai," he says. 

Nikolai nods slowly. Yuri wrings the hem of his shirt, "Well, now that you're settled, grandpa, you must be hungry. Maya offered to hold lunch at her house. We should get going, right?" He turns to Otabek, who mutters that he's going to get Katya's baby bag and hands her over to Yuri. 

"Maya? Oh, his older sister," Nikolai turns, eyes falling on Katya. When they'd fetched him at the airport half an hour ago, Nikolai's eyes had shone when settling on his great-granddaughter. They shine again now, and Yuri has a feeling they always will from now on. "Look at her, Yuratchka," he says, mesmerized. 

Yuri smiles. "Do you want to hold her?" 

Katya looks uncertainly at Nikolai. She's always been sweet to strangers but she'd gone tense in Otabek's arms when she'd seen her great-grandfather. Yuri thinks it may be the beard. Otabek had grown a stubble a few weeks ago and had shaved it off because Katya got squeamish and denied his lap, which was a surprise for both of them. 

"Won't I scare her?" Nikolai asks warily, but is already stretching his arms. 

"She's tough," Yuri says, and passes her over carefully. Katya barely moves, staring wide-eyed at Nikolai. 

"Hey, little girl," Nikolai smiles, rocking her a little. Katya stares at his face fearfully, her brows knitting. She whines a little, tucking her hands closer to her body. "No, no, don't cry," Nikolai tries to appease her and Katya whimpers, reaching her little hands for Yuri to get her. 

"Ahn, don't worry, it's the beard, I swear. She likes new people," Yuri consoles, disconcertedly picking Katya up again. 

Nikolai accepts it with a shrug. "She'll come around. Children need time." 

"Yes," Yuri nods, a little bit disappointedly, and gently guides Nikolai back to the hallway. Otabek returns from the nursery with Katya's baby bag and does a double-take at Yuri's face. 

"What happened?" He asks, opening the door and exiting after them. 

"He held her and she cried," Yuri pouts, adjusting the collar of Katya's little pink dress when she starts to fuss. Otabek frowns, but ultimately gives an amused sigh. 

"It's the beard," he says. 

"I know," Yuri grunts. "But still..." He trails off pointedly. Nikolai walks ahead of them and gets into the elevator. 

"She's just a baby, Yura," Otabek gives him a small, reproachful glance, and then nudges him in the back to walk. "Come on. Your grandfather is waiting." 

 

\- 

 

Maya looks as nervous as Yuri feels, waiting for them by the front door next to her husband. Her house is homey and modern, kept in a stylish neighbourhood that was coincidentally next to Damira's but which his mother-in-law fortunately hated. Yuri had been here once before. 

"Grandpa, this is Maya, Otabek's older sister, and her husband, Rasul," Yuri introduces. Nikolai greets them and Maya smiles. 

"We're so happy you came to visit, Mr Plisetsky," she says, and Yuri doesn't correct her as to the surname. She leads them to the living room, where the rest of Otabek's relatives are at. Damira is sat on an armchair, hands folded on her lap, Aisha looking bored out of her mind next to her, pulling her hair from the bun Damira had probably painstakingly done. Otabek's father was away on business and couldn't come, which was dangerous because his presence calmed Damira. 

"Ah, there they are," Damira says, standing up and moving towards Nikolai with a wide smile. Yuri isn't sure about its sincerity but he'd envisioned the meeting of his grandfather and his mother-in-law to be so caustic that maybe he is projecting. "You must be Nikolai," Damira says, shaking Nikolai's hand, "Otabek visited you a few years ago, didn't he? In Russia. When they were having relations without telling me. Thankd for receiving him." 

Yuri bristles, but Nikolai seems to find her comment funny. Yuri couldn't tell if Damira doubted Otabek had indeed visited his grandfather in Moscow at the start of their relationship – she doesn't doubt Otabek much -, or if she just wanted to hint that Nikolai had been a sort of accomplice to their illegal fornicating outside a marriage. Knowing her, it's probably all of that and something else he still hadn't thought about. 

"He did. Very good-mannered boy," Nikolai says, and his comment pulls a proud, pleased smile on Damira's face. 

"Oh, yes, he's always been like that. A little prince." 

Yuri rolls his eyes. It's incredible how much she could still baby her son. Otabek clears his throat shyly. There's a moment of silence where everyone looks at each other, Katya watching avidly from her perch on Yuri's arms. 

"Well," Maya speaks up, "Lunch is ready, the table is set. Shouldn't we get going?" 

 

\- 

 

To Yuri's astonishment Damira takes the seat directly in front of Nikolai, and in between serving himself and handing Katya to Otabek he doesn't get to hear what she ducks to whisper to him about, but Nikolai firmly shakes his head. Damira nods in satisfaction, knifing into her beef and giving him her attention back when Nikolai says something in complement. Damira nods repeatedly and Yuri perks his ears up over the noise of Aisha whining about not wanting to eat her meat. 

"That's exactly what I thought," Damira is telling Nikolai, "when I was young, in my time, dear god, mom would never let that happen. In the streets too, for everyone to see. Pictures all over the place. I couldn't go to the local market, they all know who I am there, everyone kept asking after it. No care with their images, with our images." 

Yuri has a feeling they're discussing his and Otabek's relationship. Otabek must know it too, with the way he tries his hardest to concentrate on eating while taking Katya's fists away from the tablecloth, a high blush up his cheeks. 

"She's talking shit about us," Yuri whispers to Otabek, watching Damira as she nods along to Nikolai's words of agreement. 

"Yeah," Otabek shifts with a sigh. 

"I hope she doesn't tell him I'm a slut or we will have to pull out emergency plan a." 

"She won't," Otabek categorically denies with a frown, but Yuri gives him an unbelieving grin. Yuri had warned Nikolai as to the dangers of Damira while in the car under Otabek's half-hearted protests that his mother wasn't that bad. He isn't sure about what impression he'd built on the old man's head but he hoped he still had an ally at the end of the day and not this person that was increasingly agreeing to Damira's view of the world. 

"... On a motorcycle," Yuri catches Nikolai saying, and sends a careful glance at Otabek, whose head is ducked over his plate. "I told Yuri: 'be careful, that thing is dangerous'. A friend of mine died in a motorcycle accident, you know, back in Moscow, years ago." 

Damira gasps. "But I always told Otabek to let that thing go. Death machines, they are," Nikolai nods to her words, "But since he became famous he doesn't seem to have time for his old mother's words. He was quite rebellious at that time too, I remember. I wanted to inquire him about the photos, about that Yuri, and he would pretend he didn't get my calls. Well, I talked to him then: 'Otabek, listen to your mother, don't ignore my calls,' and he said 'sorry, mama, I was busy.'" Damira pinches her lips together at the end of that admission, both eyebrows up while adjusting her napkin on her lap, probably to emphasize the doubtful honesty behind Otabek's alleged words. "But other than that he is a good boy, my Otabek. Always a gentleman. I remember, at school, the boys and girls would swoon after him but he only had eyes for that boxing." 

Yuri finds Otabek's gaze and lifts an eyebrow. Otabek shrugs, murmuring to Katya in quick Kazakh when she tries to make a grab for his potato. "Small Beka, middle school heartthrob?" Yuri teases, chuckling. 

"Don't mind her," Otabek shakes his head. 

The rest of lunch proceeds normally, Yuri and Otabek keeping an attentive ear on their conversation, that goes from Yuri's stubbornness – Yuri thinks Damira catalogues every complaint Nikolai makes on his person to bother him with later – to a critique of Otabek's music. At the end, Nikolai thanked Maya for the food and they all waited for her to fetch the dessert. 

It was vanilla ice cream with a dark fruit topping that Yuri licked out of his spoon in Maya's sitting room while Katya fed on his lap. Nikolai, sat at the sofa next to Yuri, squinted at a magazine containing one of Otabek's interviews. He's given up on telling Yuri how bad-mannered it was to support his feet on other people's coffee table. 

"Maya is fine with it," Yuri says, biting at the fruit with a crunch that fills his mouth with juices. Katya looks hungrily up at him and Yuri makes a mental note to start offering her solid food in a while. 

"She seems to be a good woman," Nikolai says, flicking a page. "They all seem to be good people, actually." 

Yuri hums, "they are." 

Nikolai glances at him. "You look happy with them, Yuratchka." 

Yuri huffs, "Yes, except for Damira, who is a fucking pain in my ass." 

"She has a set mind," is Nikolai's final analysis of his mother-in-law. 

"That's because she didn't tell you I take naked pictures." 

"You do?" Nikolai turns his head around surprisingly. 

"Of course not, grandpa," Yuri exclaims. "She's old-fashioned. She sees things. Did she tell you I converted her son into a maniac, sex starved heretic? Because he was like that way before I met him, let me tell you. He was _no_ virgin. You had to see her face when I told her that." 

Nikolai grins as though Yuri's ranting is a fairly humorous soap opera. "She seems to care for you a lot." 

Yuri's lips quiver, and he takes a big spoonful out of the melted ice cream at the bottom of his goblet. "She cares for Otabek and spoils Katya. I am middle-ground until I fight with Otabek." 

Nikolai rolls his eyes, "always so dramatic, Yuratchka. You can't blame her though, the baby is perfect," he sends an admired, earnest look at Katya's form. 

Yuri smiles. "Thanks, she really is precious," he rubs at Katya's cheek. "I wonder if she'll look like me. Everyone says she's Otabek's carbon copy." 

"Oh, she will. Her nose is just like yours," Nikolai assures, "And you were like that when a baby too. I will have to show you the pictures some time." 

Yuri sets his empty goblet at the small table beside him and adjust Katya on his chest gingerly. "Do you have pictures? Of me as a baby?" Nikolai nods, "You've never shown me." 

Nikolai makes a painful face. "Your mother is in most of them," he explains quietly and they both get what he means. Yuri doesn't want to see his mother's face. He regrets the memories he has of her, wished they would go away. "They seem to like you," Nikolai comments after a moment. "The little girl too. His younger sister, right? He talked a lot about her in Moscow. There's more to his family too, I believe?" 

Yuri gives a tiny smile. "Yes, maybe thousands of them scattered all around the city. You wouldn't survive a family dinner, trust me." 

Nikolai huffs amusedly. "Who knows, maybe I will. It's been such a long time since we've had anything like that." 

 

\- 

 

Otabek shows up after a while, pausing at the doorway and taking them in. "Yura, mom wants to know if she can hold Katya," he says, and then is pushed further into the room by his mother, who comes through the threshold and spans her eyes over them. 

"Yuri," she says, in a forced normal voice. She doesn't use that appeased tone on him usually, so she must want to give Nikolai the impression that she does. "Has she eaten? I didn't get to hold her." 

Yuri is currently burping Katya and really doesn't mind handing her over as she's turned quite heavy. Otabek, though, looks uncomfortable and gives Yuri an alarmed look and his mother a hard stare before speaking up. "Nikolai, could I show you something outside? Maya plants cabbages, would you like to take a look?" 

"Ah, sure," Nikolai puts the magazine away. He's enjoyed gardening during all his life and cultivates interest on other people's plantations too. 

Yuri is keenly aware that Otabek didn't come in with the intention to take his grandfather out to see cabbages, but doesn't know the reason for the diversion until he hands Katya over to Damira. The baby coos and cuddles closer to her grandmother, sleepy as she is after feeding. Katya has known Damira since forever in her recent existence, she is comfortable in her grandmother's arms and when properly awake can cause a ruckus if she's denied Damira's baby talk and her incessant spoiling. Of course it would be daunting for Nikolai to presence that. 

Yuri sends a mental thanks to Otabek for taking them out of that situation. Social cues: Yuri knows nothing about them. 

Damira delightedly talks to Katya, whose little head is starting to droop on her shoulder. Maya walks in, watching Damira and Katya with a small smile before taking Nikolai's vacant seat. "Yuri, tell me, did your grandfather like the food? He said he did, but I think the potatoes were a bit salty. Is he used to it? I didn't want to ask." 

"He loved it, Maya, thanks a lot," Yuri fans himself with the magazine, only then taking a look at the cover. Otabek is in a white t-shirt and jeans, nothing much, but he still oozes sex appeal. 

"It's nothing, Yuri. He can stop by whenever. Have you made plans already on where to take him?" 

Yuri explains he and Otabek were working on it before Maya looks up at Damira. "Oh, is she asleep already?" She whispers, eyes on Katya. 

"She is, this little girl, always sleeps on grandmother's arms," except for when she's trying to get Damira's attention by pulling on her hijab with her powerful fists. Yuri had burst into laughter when his daughter had done that. She's tugged at Yuri's hair before and it's not pleasant, but the sight of Damira quietly trying to admonish her while Katya wringed her hijab away and Otabek grabbed her and pulled her away was still burnt into Yuri's retinas. "Did you want to train, Maya? You should get started soon." 

Maya blushes, "Oh, no, I mean, perhaps later. She's asleep." 

"It's okay," Yuri puts in, because he knows Maya, she will never ask for it. "You've held her before," he motions for Damira to approach. 

"It's really not- Yuri, she's sleeping," Maya protests weakly. 

"Oh, Maya, don't be shy," Damira says, and stands before Maya, passing Katya over with the utmost care. Yuri points her where to hold the baby at, Katya's slumped form is heavy and she wiggles a little bit before resting against her aunt. "There," Damira smiles. 

"Do you know the sex already?" Yuri asks. 

Maya is looking down at Katya attentively, slowly fixing her head. "Not yet," she smiles up at him, "the ultrasound is next week." 

"Don't you have a feeling?" Yuri tilts his chin in her belly's direction. Her baby bump was small and barely visible. 

"Did you have with Katya? I keep thinking I will spoil it. What if it's not the one I expected?" 

"Will it make a difference?" 

"No, it's just," she shakes her head, primly curling Katya's hair away from her face. "Rasul wants a boy. I mean, we will both be happy as long as it is healthy-." 

"But you want a boy too," Yuri completes for her. 

Maya nods shyly and Damira gasps in excitement, "Oh, Maya, our first boy! I'll pray for it to come true." 

Yuri rolls his eyes. "Doesn't make a difference, they all cry and shit all the time." 

 

\- 

 

"Do you fear your 'personal life will get in the way of your music'?" Yuri asks Otabek, quoting his interview for the magazine. It had been published three to four years ago, a little before they'd personally met. Maya had let him have it when they departed from her house. 

Nikolai is currently at his bedroom, in his slippers and pajamas after Otabek had pestered him with questions of if there was anything else he needed. Now Otabek is staring at his laptop screen on their bed, pushing his reading glasses up and down his nose in thought while Yuri steps out of his robe. Otabek glances at him. 

"What?" 

"You do," Yuri states, lowering the ac's temperature and sliding on the bed next to him. "You said it in an interview." 

Otabek frowns. "Have you been reading my old interviews?" 

Yuri smirks, "so you _did_ say it." 

Otabek shrugs. "They misinterpreted it, as always." 

"Yeah?" Yuri rests his head on the pillow, looking up at Otabek, "What exactly did you mean then?" 

"Just that it sometimes slips. You know, the meaning slips into the music, and it feels personal. So I tried not to let it happen." 

Yuri yawns, "all right. Can I turn off the lights?" 

Otabek finishes clicking and snaps his laptop shut. "Yes," he slides next to Yuri. 

Yuri switches the lights off and their room becomes shrouded in darkness. "Do you think grandpa-" 

"He would hear it, yes." 

Yuri sighs, "Fuck. Is this gonna be Moscow all over again? You're such an idiot. You should take it as a challenge, you know, to not be so loud and yet you can't even get it up if my grandfather is nearby." 

Otabek grunts, arm slung over Yuri's waist. "I can't help it." 

"We're married. He knows we fuck, we have a daughter, for god's sake." 

"Okay," Otabek murmurs, "still, we're not doing it, not now." 

"Beka," Yuri speaks up suddenly. Otabek groans in response, "did you want Katya to be a boy?" 

Otabek tenses, "What?" 

"It's just- Never mind. Your mother seems to want Maya to have a boy as a first child." 

"Mom likes babies," Otabek scratches at the skin of Yuri's belly soothingly, but Yuri can't help but feel like he wants to appease Yuri to make him change topics. He kisses the back of Yuri's ear, "don't listen to her." 

_It's kind of impossible_ , Yuri wants to say, but Otabek nips at his earlobe. "Ouch, if you won't fuck me then don't tease me, bastard." 

Otabek chuckles and Yuri spends more time thinking about it. 

"Beka?" He nudges Otabek's arm, but he is already asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Your comments are very, very welcome and I'm dying to know if you liked it or not. Please, don't be shy! ;)


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